(a) No commercial slaughterer, custom slaughterer, commercial
processor, custom processor or distributor shall operate an
establishment unless he or she shall first have obtained a license
from the commissioner, which license remains unsuspended and
unrevoked. Application for such license shall be made on forms
prescribed by the commissioner and shall be accompanied by the fee
required in this section.

When such a person operates as a commercial slaughterer and
also operates as a commercial processor, whether such operations
are located on the same or different premises in this state, each
such operation shall be licensed. When such a person operates two
or more slaughterhouses not on the same premises in this state, or
operates two or more processing plants not on the same premises in
this state, a separate license shall be required for each such
slaughterhouse and each such processing plant. Each license shall
expire on the thirtieth day of June next following its issuance,
and the annual fee for each such license shall be based upon the
average number of animals slaughtered per year and upon the average
finished product poundage processed per year, as set forth in the
following table, except that the annual fee for the license of a
person who operates solely as a custom slaughterer shall be ten
dollars or as a custom processor shall be five dollars or as a distributor shall be five dollars.

Average Number of AnimalsAnnual

ClassSlaughtered Per YearFee
Small1-500$10.00

Medium501-1000$25.00

Large1001-5000$50.00

Extra LargeOver 5000$75.00

Average Finished ProductAnnual

ClassPoundage Processed Per Year Fee

Small1-25,000$10.00

Medium25,001-250,000$25.00

Large250,001-1,000,000$50.00

Extra LargeOver 1,000,000$75.00

Before issuing any license required by the provisions of this
section, the commissioner shall inspect the applicant's
establishment and if the commissioner is satisfied that the
establishment is clean and sanitary, is properly equipped, and is
in conformity with the provisions of this article and any
reasonable rules promulgated by the commissioner, and if he or she
is further satisfied that the carcasses, meat products or poultry
products to be sold or offered for sale therefrom through
commercial outlets will be wholesome and unadulterated, he or she
shall issue the license. Each license shall specify the location
of the establishment at which the licensee shall carry on his or
her operations. The license shall also contain the establishment
number assigned by the commissioner.

(b) When a licensee changes the location of his or her
establishment, he or she shall not operate at such new location
unless and until his or her establishment at such new location has
been inspected by the commissioner and a new license has been
issued, or when a licensee leases, sells, changes name,
incorporates or in any other way changes the status of his or her establishment with relationship to issuance of current license, the
new lessee, owner, etc., shall not operate at the location unless
and until the establishment at such location has been inspected and
approved by the commissioner and a new license has been issued in
accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section:
Provided, That a fee shall not be charged for such new license
during the license year in which the change in location or change
in ownership, name or leasing was made.

(c) The commissioner may refuse to grant a license or maysuspend or revoke a license issued under the provisions of this
section whenever he or she finds that the applicant's or licensee's
establishment, as the case may be, is not clean or sanitary, or is
not properly equipped, or is not in conformity with the provisions
of this article or any reasonable rules promulgated by the
commissioner, or if he or she finds that the carcasses, meat
products or poultry products to be sold or offered for sale
therefrom through commercial outlets are or will be adulterated.

Upon the refusal to grant a license, the commissioner shall
furnish a written statement to the applicant specifying the grounds
for such refusal. No such revocation or suspension of a license
shall be effective until the licensee has received written notice
thereof, which notice shall specify the grounds for such revocation
or suspension.

Whenever there is sufficient cause for the revocation or
suspension of a license as hereinabove specified, the commissioner
may in lieu of such revocation or suspension, suspend inspections
at the establishment. Immediately upon suspension of such inspections the commissioner shall give the licensee written notice
thereof, and such notice shall contain a recitation of the
deficiencies which must be fully and completely corrected before
inspections shall be resumed.

Upon receipt of a written statement advising that a license
has been refused or upon receipt of a written notice of the
revocation or suspension of a license, or upon the suspension of
inspections at the licensee's establishment, the applicant or
licensee, as the case may be, may, in writing, demand a hearing.
The commissioner shall hold such a hearing within ten days after
receipt of such written demand, in accordance with the provisions
of section nine of this article.